Building Trust in 6G: Telecoms Modernisation and the Future of IoT

With the 2G switch-off set for 2033, a voluntary Charter published in March 2026 and a projected 39 billion connected devices by 2030, the UK faces two simultaneous tasks: migrating millions of legacy IoT devices, and designing connectivity from the ground up for machine intelligence rather than retrofitting human-centric 4G and 5G. This session brings operators, vendors and policy voices together on the practical, near-term steps needed to get there. 

What this webinar covers 

• The 2G switch-off: coordinating a national transition plan for the millions of IoT devices still dependent on 2G ahead of the 2033 deadline. 

• Sensors at scale: the case for a national sensor infrastructure strategy, treated as economic infrastructure and as the physical layer of AI. 

• Connectivity fit for machines: embedding IoT and agentic-AI requirements into 6G standardisation now, rather than retrofitting later. 

• Investment incentives, spectrum decisions and the LPWAN and private-5G build-out that sensor-dense environments will need. 

Agenda 

• Welcome and framing from the techUK ACT programme

• Opening remarks: findings from the DCF/Plum 2G report and the future of IoT

• Chaired panel with operator, vendor and end-user perspectives

• Audience Q&A and closing remarks

Why it matters 

The 2G switch-off is a hard deadline attached to devices in metering, telematics, alarms and healthcare that were never designed to be migrated at scale. At the same time, agentic AI is creating demand for a connectivity layer built for machines. Organisations that plan the migration and shape the standards now will avoid absorbing both costs at once — and members attending will leave with a clear view of who owns which part of the transition. 

Who should attend 

IoT product, connectivity and estate owners; operators and MVNOs planning legacy migration; device manufacturers and module vendors; utilities, transport, healthcare and other sectors with large deployed IoT estates; and policy teams working on DSIT's IoT, AI and spectrum agendas. 

Session 2 of three in techUK's Building Trust in 6G series. Sessions are bookable individually or as a series.